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Biofuels can be ‘done right’ if they use low life-cycle greenhouse gas emission feedstock that does not compete with food production, say a group of US scientists.

Writing in the prestigious journal Science, the scientists from the University of Minnesota, Princeton, Massachusetts Institute of Techology and the University of California, Berkeley conclude that we cannot afford to miss out on the potential greenhouse gas emissions reductions and other benefits offered by biofuels.

Next generation biofuels could be produced in substantial quantities from perennial crops grown on abandoned land, crop residues like corn stover and straw, sustainable wood and forestry waste, double crops grown between conventional crop seasons and municipal and industrial waste.

“We need to transition away from using food for biofuels toward more sustainable feedstocks that can be produced with much less impact on the environment,” says Jason Hill of the University of Minnesota.

Policy and technology must ensure that land should not be cleared of its native ecosystem to produce biofuel crops, which impacts both greenhouse gas emissions and food production, say the scientists.

“Biofuels ‘done right’ have a bright future in solving our energy and environmental challenges,” says University of Minnesota colleague Jonathan Foley.

“Both new and existing biofuel strategies have the potential for being among the green energy solutions we need today.”

The current administration remains bent on pursuing biofuels and this week announced a $6.3 million injection into research aimed at improving the plant feedstocks used for biofuels.

The joint effort between the Departments of Energy and Agriculture will support seven projects that promise to accelerate the use of lignocellulosic materials, which are less intensive to produce and can be grown on poor quality land.

For further information:
D. Tilman, R. Socolow, J. A. Foley, J. Hill, E. Larson, L. Lynd, S. Pacala, J. Reilly, T. Searchinger, C. Somerville, and R. Williams. Beneficial Biofuels—The Food, Energy, and Environment Trilemma. Science (2009) 325, 270-271.
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